A&D investor podcast

In this second episode of the Tholus A&D investor podcast, we are talking about the space economy with Bulent Altan, Founder at Alpine Space Ventures. Bulent is a New Space veteran who was one of the first employees at SpaceX where he was Vice-President responsible for the avionics of the Falcon rocket as well as the Dragon capsule.  We speak  to Bulent about New Space vs. Old Space, the investable verticals within the space economy as well as dual use and the potential of Europe within the space ecosystem.

In this inaugural episode of the Tholus A&D investor podcast we speak to Brad Harrison,  Managing Partner at Scout Ventures, one of the leading A&D focused  VCs. We talk with Brad about dual use technologies, working with the Pentagon on cutting edge technologies as well as the paradigm shift in DoD procurement, Transcript: https://tholuscapital.com/transcriptsepisode7

Welcome to the Tholus Capital Investor podcast on Aerospace & Defense, the podcast for venture capital and private equity in the defense and space sector.  We are witness to some seismic shifts in the geopolitical landscape. Global security dynamics have shifted away from unipolarity towards a multipolar world where power competition dominates foreign policy. The unifying and stabilizing power of economics and international institutions - or what we call globalization -  is on the retreat.  NATO and its non-member allies find themselves at an inflection point as state and non-state actors pose existential risks to global stability and security. China's rise, the emergence of a revanchist Russia, and continued turmoil in parts of the Middle East are some of the likely drivers of conflict between now and 2030. A demonstrated  by recent conflicts, cutting-edge technology such as electronic and cyberwarfare, unmanned aerial and ground vehicles, hypersonic glide vehicles as well as artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics play a decisive role in battlefield domination and the protection of vital national interests. Having recognized that the public sector is no longer the primary driver of innovation in many fields of technology governments are increasingly embracing private equity and venture capital to maintain their technological superiority in critical areas of national security.   This allows them to access the highest level of R&D and technological innovation. The direct engagement with startups also permits governments to access exceptional pools of technological and entrepreneurial talent. Founders who are shifting away from optimizing “ad clicks” to building much needed security solutions and are highly mission driven.   Our mission at the Tholus A&D investor podcast is to bring the investment opportunity in Aerospace and Defense to the forefront. We will take a close look at the investment landscape, its drivers and main actors. We will talk to founders, investors, policy makers, beaurocrats and academics and of course the military to understand future security requirements, the underlying technologies as well as department procurement cycles and how government can harness the power of private capital for military innovation.  Subscribe to the Tholus A&D investor podcast now and stay tuned for an exciting exploration of the aerospace and defense sector from an investor’s perspective.  For more information go to www.tholuscapital.com or contact us at podcast@tholuscapital.com.